Ritsu and the band of sisters
by Devb
Summary: K-On! joins the army. Well it was bound to happen sooner or later... Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

Ritsu and the band of sisters.

Err yea so I don't own anything A-1, Aniplex, Kyoani please don't sue me.

Reviews would be helpful. ^^

* * *

The gentle spring breeze brushed against auburn locks playing with it as the VW Typ 82 Kubelwagen speeds through the rough pebbled road leading to destination unknown. She lets out a yelp as the open top automobile ran over a bump causing it to buckle violently startling the brunette out of her slumber. The driver paying no mind to her, but merely inform her that they were nearing their destination.

"We're close."

"Huh, who the hell are you," she questioned but he didn't respond.

She stole a few glances at her driver, quite older than herself maybe in his 50s. _I'm I being kidnapped? Is he going to... Wait what I'm I wearing? S_he looked down at her appearance, some sort of military uniform; green with black accents. Her attention then snapped back to the surrounding, _we never had mountains like these in Japan. Oww my head, how in the world? _

"Wait wait wait, stop this car! Where are you taking me?"

"PRIVATE Tainaka, I suggest you not continue speaking like THAT if you wish to remain in the military, especially when you are talking to a superior OFFICER."

"I'm still in high school, how...," however her words trailed off as their destination came into view.

"Wha... what is that," she gasp the city was straight out of some fairy tale, or maybe something out of an old foreign movie she once saw on television, _It's just like that movie, __The Sound of Music._

"Seize...," her driver replied.

Sitting atop a mountain overlooking the border to no mans land, one of the few treasures left of this dying world the city of Seize. Surrounded by lush scenery and mountain vistas the grand city sits in a warm summit protected from the outside world. "The city of spring and glass," Seize was known for its glass production supplying a huge percentage of the glass needed during the war. _The windshield of this vehicle probably came from this city._ Powered by an artificial damn created eons ago, the city of Seize is pretty much self sustaining.

_Beautiful, she _thought blissfully as she took in the view something she rarely gets to see in the front lines of Vingt-et-Un. _Wait what? What the hell I'm I thinking about... I don't even know where I am. Mio must have hit me a bit too hard... I must be in a coma or something, this is all a dream... _

The car made an abrupt stop almost causing the poor girl to crash head first into the windshield.

"Hey watch it! What's the big deal," she angrily questioned the man. The soldier decided to ignore her insolence and got up from the driver seat. He grabbed a bag from the backseat and made his way to the front of the vehicle where he tossed it on the ground.

"Hey you old fart! You almost killed me back there!"

"NEED I remind you, Pvt. Tainaka to NOT talk like that especially when addressing a SUPERIOR OFFICER," this time the gentlemen was at his wits end with this new girl.

"Well err...S-sorry," normally someone like Ritsu would not yield so easily not to anybody especially some guy. But this man, he obviously means business, Ritsu figured not to get in his way.

"Alright then... Ahem... PVT. Tainaka Ritsu, assignment: the 1121st Panzer Regiment," as he hands her a piece of paper awaiting her signature.

"t-tank?!"

"...Look...Your platoon is stationed in that clock tower," he pointed to the location since it could easily be seen as it sits overlooking the city. A run down clock tower badly in need of renovation with large portions of the building falling apart, _in there house a Vector Type-Zero._ "I'm sure they would be able to answer whatever questions you may have in regards to your deployment." He pushed the piece of paper to her again, this time pulling out a pen and handing it to her. She promptly took the pen and paper signing her name: Ritsu Tainaka in English alphabet. _Huh._

"Thank you," he saluted her she saluted in return as not to be rude.

"Thank you, Major," she doesn't quite understand why she's calling him Major or how military hierarchy even works. But somehow all of this was now new to her.

"Very well then, my mission is complete," he said as he ends the salute hands falling to his side. The brunette did the same, she turned around towards the city steps hoping to find a phone or at least someone who could help her in the vast unknown city.

"May I ask you a question," the older gentlemen interrupted starling her. Ritsu nervously turned around to meet his gaze.

"S-sure," for a man in his early 50s she couldn't get over how handsome he was. His face is adorn with many small scars probably as a result of years of fighting. His beard gave him a sense of regal and class, he was quite the gentlemen she thought. _The Desert Wolf himself. _

"Why did you enlist... someon like you, well you kinda look... out of place...," he smiled.

"I don't have anywhere to go, my family was killed during the mortar raids," she couldn't understand why she said that. Her family isn't dead, in fact they are probably desperately searching for her whereabouts. _They must be worried sick! I must find a phone!_

"Oh, I- I'm sorry," she was surprised by how genuine his apology was.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago," that's right she needs to find a phone to call her family. What on earth is she saying? Has she gone mad?

"Very well then," giving her a final salute before they both parted ways, she promptly gave one in return.

"Okay, well I guess I'll be off then Major..."

"Call me Klaus," he smiled.

-

Ritsu walked slowly through the city occasionally wiping strains of hair from her eyes, it was getting hot and she could feel the sweat on her brow. _I should tie this hair up, _her hair was somewhat long almost shoulder length, _not conforming to military regulations. _The hair itself looked untamed, wild giving her a delinquent look however she is far from a delinquent in fact behind the facade of being a loudmouth the girl is quite shy.

_I need to find a phone, I'm sure everyone is looking for me..._

The city itself, looked like it was built many centuries ago with arching walkways and old stone steps. Modern technology hasn't touched an inch of this great city. Ritsu always wanted to visit Europe, getting lost in Europe is another matter. Ritsu wasn't even positive that this is Europe, and most of all she wasn't sure how she managed to get here nor how to get back._  
_

She walked around from shop to shop asking to use a phone and to her surprised none of the many shops she visited actually have a working unit. She desperately wished she had her mobile with her, however being in this strange city she doubt it would even get a working signal. She made her way through the vast alleyways flagging down anybody who might potentially have a phone with them, unfortunately no one seems to have or even know what a mobile phone is. Eventually her search led her to what seems to be a huge clearing with crowds of people going about their business, buying and selling goods quite similar to a flea market.

Ritsu was busy absorbing in the atmosphere as she felt something tug against her pants.

"Are you a soldier," questioned a small girl. She had blonde hair and stood about shoulder height to Ritsu. From her clothing, she looked quite poor, maybe an orphan.

"Huh," Ritsu didn't know how to answer this.

"That uniform its similar to the people over at the old clock tower," said the little blonde. _Ahh that's right them again, the 1121__st__. _

"Umm... I guess I am, do you happen to know where I can find a phone," questioned the brunette.

"Kanata-oneechan said they have one where she lives," replied the blonde.

"Err where does Kanata-oneechan live," Ritsu continued her questioning.

"Umm...," however before she could finish she spots someone in the crowd. "Well I have to go now bye," and with that she rushed off in the opposite direction. Ritsu could only watch as the young girl ran off into the crowd. She was about to follow her when.

"Mishio-san come back, Umph," as she felt somebody run into her at full force slightly knocking her off balance but not enough for her to lose her footing. She quickly turned around ready to yell at her assailant only for her eyes to come to rest on a girl similar to her height, maybe a tiny bit shorter.

"S-sorry," said the girl as she eyed Ritsu's military uniform.

"Y-Yui? What are you doing here," she questioned as the other brunette gets up from the ground. The girl was wearing a weird colorful dress, like different fabric patched together and on her head adorn a very unique haircut, one which wasn't even remotely symmetrical. _Oh what a relief to know I'm not alone in this weird place, even if its with Yui._

"Huh? Yui?," the girl looked surprised and confused.

Upon closer inspection the girl merely only looked and sounded like the guitarist. This girl as ditzy and as clumsy as she may be is a completely different person. Ritsu blushed, couldn't control her embarrassment of mistaking the girl for one of her closest friends.

"You must be Tainaka-san," said the girl. Ritsu is still amaze that there's someone else in this world like Yui and to be able to meet them here of all places.

"H-how did you know my name?"

"Private Sorami Kanata, we received a report from Klaus-san that you will be joining us," she saluted. "But, you can just call me Kanata, that's how Filicia-san wants us to address each other anyways... err... doing away with rank I mean."

_Kanata! She must know where I can find a phone._

"Filicia-san?"

"1st Lieutenant Heidemann, that's who you will be reporting to," she explained. "Gah I almost forgot! I'm sorry Tainaka-san I need to find Mishio and bring her home before Yumina-san gets angry at the both of us!"

And with that she ran off after the smaller girl disappearing into the crowd of people. W_hat a peculiar girl, _thought the brunette.

"W...what just happened?"

At this point the drummer felt she had no choice _but_ to head towards the clock tower, the only place that might have the answer to her predicament. As she reached the end of the main path cutting across the the bustling bazaar, the walkway turned into a quiet alleyway with concrete steps leading upwards to the highest point of the town. Soon the long pathway lead to an opening and red hanging bridge, on the other side is the clock tower. The bridge itself looks stable enough so the brunette made her way across. At that time it was getting late in the afternoon as the first signs of dusk is settling in, she noticed the sun set behind the mountains the view itself was breathtaking. _This place isn't so bad after all, I need to get home though I'm sure everyone is worried sick. _And as she was admiring the sunset something swooped past her, it was an owl.

She looked up fearing that it might hurt her, sure enough the owl looks like its turning around for another pass. She grab whatever she could from her army standard issued backpack hoping that it would be of any use against the angry bird of prey . _D-Drumsticks? What the heck I'm I going to do with this?! _However as she was fumbling with pair of drumsticks the owl quickly with its talons grabbed onto her hair, or more specifically her yellow hairband yanking it from the brunette making her bangs fall down covering most of her forehead.

"Hey," she screamed at the animal as it flies off into the direction of the city. _Great... _

_-_

It was early dusk as she made her way into the base of operations for the 1121st, she noticed two VW Typ 82 Kubelwagen similar to the one she rode in with Krauss, she also noticed a KS750 motorbike. She made out a figure lying next to the bike, a girl in the same military uniform that she was wearing. She tried to make out the figure however the only thing she managed to get a glimpse of is her hair, long raven hair flowing down past her shoulders and resting against her back. _This haircut doesn't seem to be in line with military regulations, especially for a tank platoon with a lot of heavy machinery to get it tangled up in. _As the brunette got closer the other girl noticed her; the raven quickly got up from where she was diligently working and walked towards the brunette. As Rtisu took in the full view of the girl she could not help but find her incredibly beautiful and surprisingly familiar,_ M-Mio? _However as she got closer Ritsu was disappointed that it wasn't her best friend, this girl was a lot more _built,_ with well defined muscle tone, she also presents her self as more masculine than the ultra feminine bassist. _Pretty much the total opposite of Mio._

"You must be Tainaka-san," came the scruffy voice.

"Y-yes! Nice meeting you," she bowed, this girl looked so much like Mio a part of Ritsu wanted to tease her however seeing that she was much bigger than her, well her common sense dictates that she shouldn't. The brunette quickly searched her bag to find the proper paper work. Once she found them she handed them over to the bigger girl who read it attentively.

"..."

"Err... Nice bike," Ritsu trying to make small talk as the silence was killing her.

"T-Thanks, I fixed it up myself," she gave the brunette a smile before going to too the paperwork. "Don't touch it," as an aura of seriousness came over the girl, Ritsu knows to obey the order.

"he...heh...," the brunette was quite nervous at this point. She doesn't know how people in the military in general usually act.

"Ara Rio-chan you didn't tell me we have company," came a somewhat accented voice emanating from one of the doors of the clock tower. The accent is quite distinct as it could be easily be distinguished that there was one, especially in contrast to the biker's dialect. However this mysterious accent is not familiar to the drummer, making it unidentifiable. Ritsu turned around to meet the face that was attached to the voice.

There stood quite a charming woman with her an air of nobility and class, a beautiful princess like face with curves to match. Blonde shady locks neatly comb as to not cover her exquisite facial features, she doesn't look like the other two; quite foreign and mysterious. The only minor flaw in this perfect western beauty is the glasses that has adorn her face, probably due to all the reading. The girl presented herself as someone with intelligence to match her striking beauty. Ritsu was quite embarrassed at herself for staring at the lovely lady far longer than she should, making the blonde look a bit nervous. _M-mugi? _

"And don't you mind Rio-chan, she always tries to act tough during first impressions, in truth she's really a softy," as the blonde nestle her arms under the biker causing the tomboy to be quite flustered by the gesture. Ritsu just stared at them blankly not really knowing how to respond.

"Err..."

"Oh where are my manners," said the blonde. "may I present Master Sergeant Rio Kazumiya and myself I am 1st Lieutenant Filicia Heidemann."

"Err my name is Tainaka Ritsu nice meeting you," she bowed to the blonde.

"Nice meeting you Ritsu...san," replied the blonde.

"AHH, This IS a special occasion indeed, another new recruit," the blond commander said that as she clasp her hands together. "How about some tea and sweets after dinner... Rio-chan may I ask you to go pick up some cakes at our regular bakery?"

_She is Mugi!_

"I'm almost done with the bike, just give me a few more minutes."

"Well, you see Rio-chan its getting quite late... and we wouldn't want the store to close..." smiled the blonde the biker who really didn't want to argue with her commanding officer. "Oh and if you fine Kanata please bring her back before dinner, since it is my turn to cook I decided to make her that stew that she liked so much."

"Honestly, you're like a worried mother Filicia, fine fine I'll take the VW," said Rio as she walked to one of the two parked cars. The Sergeant realized a long time ago how pointless it is to deny Filicia.

"Hurry back now," said Filicia as she waved to Rio.

Ritsu could only stand there and watch the exchange between the two. Then both girls watch as the Sergeant drove off into the direction of the city. _Cakes and teas? What kind of a military is this? _

"Ahh I almost forgot about dinner," as a thought hits the blonde commander. At this point the sky was a shade of bright orange and indigo, the sun halfway down the horizon Ritsu was taken back by such a sight. Normally the loud mouth Ritsu wouldn't notice things like sunsets or scenic vistas, however today after all the strange things that happened she figured she would make an exception.

"Ricchan do you want you help me with dinner," asked her commander. _Ricchan? _

"Umm... sure."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I don't own shit. Please read/review also I'm always looking for new ideas, so please drop me a line or write it in the review.

I also wanted to thank ZIIIX for proofing reading this chapter for me, sometimes when I write I tend to skip my own mistakes. It's a bad habit. _

* * *

"Ricchan would you mind washing and peeling some carrots for me?" asked Filicia while she was busy chopping other vegetables.

"Not at all," she said and went to where the blonde was busily working.

"Here," she pointed to the large carrots, next to the cutting board.

The drummer pick them up and was about to wash them until she noticed that this huge kitchen doesn't seem to have a sink. Hopefully the building itself isn't totally devoid of indoor plumbing. "Err, where's the sink?" she questioned.

"Sink?"

"Umm… where would I wash these?"

"Oh, outside you should see a small well that you can use to wash them with..."

"Oh..."

Dusk has fully settled and the sky lit up with a shade of indigo. The air was nice and cool, carrying with it the scent of spring flowers; she loved this scent. Normally for someone like Ritsu, the drummer don't particularly consider herself a romantic, and would never openly admit to liking what she deemed as "girly stuff."

The pvt. rounded the corner to find the stone well. She also noticed yet another girl who looked to be a bit younger than herself. Not noticing Ritsu the girl was busily removing clothes from where they were hung out to dry. She had raven black hair similar to Rio except they are neatly tied by a red bow into two long pigtails. From behind she almost looked like one of her kouhan. As Ritsu got closer the girl seemed to be mumbling something to herself.

"That idiot Kanata, making me do all the work..."

"BOO!," shouted the brunette.

"Whoa!" she gasped, tossing articles of clothing up in the air, some even falling on Ritsu. A pair of white panties with a cartoon lion pattern ended up landing on the ground right in front of her. With a face red as a tomato the younger girl quickly dropped to the ground gathering the fallen clothing.

"Heh, does this belong to you?" questioned the drummer as she held up the scrupulous article, inspecting it.

"G-GIVE me that!" yelled the younger girl snatching it out of Ritsu's hands. "Don't you have any decency? And not only that, you shouldn't sneak up on people," the girl's face was a mix of anger an embarrassment. It was quite obvious who the owner of the panties were.

"You were the one who tossed all that crap at me, and you should see how you look right now," laughed the brunette.

"S-shut up!"

Ritsu only laughed.

"Geez, honestly that's no way to talk to your superiors. I might be younger than you but I've still been here longer than you!"

"Oh really, lion-chan...," she teased. _She's just like..._

"S-shut up! You idiot… idiot!"

_Oh yeah that reminds me, I need to ask 'these people' to use their phone._

There was no time to play around. She'd better get these carrots washed and return them to Filicia. There were more pressing matters, matters of which somehow managed to slip her mind only few moments ago.

The girl was still eying her suspiciously as she washes the carrots. The brunette noticed this but decided to not give her any attention, first things first. Once finished, she picked up the carrots and proceeded to walk back into the building not uttering a word to the girl.

"Aren't you even going to say anything? At least formally introduce yourself," she yelled, she hated getting ignored.

"Nice meeting you, lion-chan," the brunette replied, sticking out her tough at the little girl before quickly walking inside. This left the girl fuming; Ritsu only laughed.

"Oh you're back," said the blonde commander. "I take it you found the well without any problems?"

"Yea, umm there's a girl out there..."

"Oh," she looked out at the direction of the well. "That's Kureha, well you might need to get used to her umm... well... she's young you see and has quite the temper..." Filicia seems to be struggling with what to say.

"I got it," laugh Ritsu. "Say no more. Oh yeah, may I use your phone?"

"The phone?"

"Yeah, I need to call my parents."

"Your parents have a phone?" she blinked. Only royalty and the incredibly wealthy were blessed with having phone systems. However being her usual kind self, the blonde decided to give Ritsu the benefit of the doubt.

"Is it an emergency?"

"Yeah, you could say that." She didn't know what was up with people and why they are so stingy with their phones in this region of the world. _It's just a phone call._

"Hmm... I don't see why not. However the phone is normally used for emergencies... Oh, it's in the living room."

"T-thank you," she bowed. "Believe me this IS an emergency."

"Through that door," the blonde pointed. As the brunette headed towards the living room her commander decided to follow her. If she were to say something 'weird' Filicia would be there to correct any misunderstanding between the new girl and HQ.

-

"Umm," she mumbled while looking at the old fashion phone. "Filicia-san," she called to the kitchen only to find that the commander was actually standing right behind her.

"Yes," she smiled causing Ritsu to jump. _This girl even has Mugi's stealth powers._

"Err yeah, there's no dial," she pointed to the phone.

"A what?"

"Err there was supposed to be numbers here so you can call other people..." she was kinda exhausted in trying to explain how a phone should look like or work. _How can people not know how to use a phone in this day and age?_

"Other people?"

"Err nevermind, umm what is this place called anyways?"

"This place, do you mean the clock tower?"

"N-no this city." Ritsu was getting quite frustrated with these people. How did they become so alienated to the outside world?

"Seize, a province of the Republic of Helvetia"

"Helvetia?"

"Hmm...?"

"Umm... err I mean, oh forget it, it's nothing..." At this point the commander gave off a worried look.

"Umm, is Ricchan sick?"

"No, no I'm fine," she picked up the phone. She didn't quite know how to explain it to her superior.

"So how do I make a long-distance call?"

"A long-distance call?"

"What is this, twenty-questions?"

"...There should be someone on the other end once you pick up"

"Oh err I guess I need to talk to an operator," as she picked up the headset. It rang a few time before somebody picked up.

"Hello," came a voice on the other line.

"Hi, umm I need to make a direct call to Japan," said the brunette.

"J-Japan? What's that?"

"It's a country, an island located in the far east."

"Huh? You mean Fuso?"

"Err... sure," she was confused herself.

"This is a secured line, only authorized personnel can access the phone system."

"Huh? It's just a phone call!" Ritsu yelled at whoever this guy was on the other line.

"Who is in charge there?"

"I just wanted to call my parents."

"WHOEVER this is, the line is not for civilian use. Again, who is in charge there?"

"In charge," the brunette echoed the question. This caused the blonde to gently snatch the phone from her hand. As much as she liked to help Ritsu she must intervene before any more trouble could be caused.

"Err I'm sorry, 1st Lieutenant Heideman speaking. We were just testing out the phone system to see if the lines got damaged during the last storm," she quickly made up something as not to get Ritsu or herself reprimanded. Ritsu could only stand there dumbfounded and frustrated as the blonde talked to whoever was on the other line.

"Right, right... Thank you," she said before hanging up giving out a sigh of relief.

"Umm... Ritsu-san," she asked the brunette formally. The blonde was rarely serious about anything, but playing around with the phone system is a cause of concern, especially from a new recruit. "Who exactly are you trying to contact?"

"My parents," the brunette replied. "Look I know how funny this might sound but I don't belong here," she looked around. "This place, this country..."

"Umm..." for once Filicia was speechless. _What's wrong with this girl?_ "Are you sure you are not sick Ritsu-san?"

"Look, I am damn well NOT sick. I don't belong in Helvetia, I'm a Japanese citizen!"

"Japanese? What is this Japan you are speaking of?"

"Japan!"

"Is that like a village?"

"It's a country!" The brunette sighed exasperatedly. "Look don't play dumb with me. You are speaking Japanese right now. Heck everyone here is speaking a form of Japan-," it was then she realized that they weren't speaking Japanese. The dialect was closer to a mixture of French and Spanish. HUH?

"W-wait a minute." Everything got extremely weird for Ritsu at this point. "I... Filicia-san I don't belong in this world..."

"Ricchan are you sure you are not sick?"

"Ahh my head..." she started feeling dizzy. _But Kanata, Rio and that other girl. They looked Japanese but why?_ At this point everything has finally set in, she felt like she was in the Matrix and everything that happened to her before this: her friends, her parents, they were all a lie. Her real parents were killed during the mortar raids of Vingt-et-Un. All her 17 years of going to school with everyone, the band, everything was a lie. She felt dizzy, Filicia decided to hold onto her in case she might have to faint.

"This is all Mio's fault..." and right then she passed out.

-

By the time she regained consciousness it was already past midnight. Rio and Filicia, concerned about the new recruit, both stayed awake all night tending to her care.

"You're finally awake," came the Sergeant's voice. "We were worried sick. Wwhy didn't you tell us you were ill?"

"Uhh..." she didn't know how to reply. In truth she was feeling fine, but in light of the events that transpired, she had made a complete fool out of herself. "I think I'm feeling better now Sergeant, thank you for your concern."

"Rio is fine. Filicia wanted us to be on a first name basis anyways."

"Speaking of which," Rio looked behind her in the general direction of a certain sleeping blonde commander, her head slumped over in what appears to be quite an uncomfortable chair. "She tended to you when you passed out earlier this evening."

Ritsu was grateful to have such a caring commander. _I've been so selfish..._

Rio got up to wake up the blonde, but it was to no avail. In peace time, when Filicia sleeps, she sleeps like a log. "I'll be back," sighed the raven. She lifted the blonde up carefully as not to wake her before quietly carried Filicia out of the room, leaving Ritsu to collect her thoughts.

_Why did I make a scene on the very first day of my first deployment? That's right the phone._ She glanced at the door, the direction to the living room. But who was she trying to call? All my relatives are dead, she thought sadly.

"Argh... why can't I remember," she cursed herself as all memories of her previous life began to quickly fade away. This is all her fault. She had probably hit her so hard that she had amnesia. _But all whose fault?_

"Are you hungry?" came a voice interrupting her train of thought. It was Rio who had returned after having put the commander to bed.

"Umm..." but as she was about to finish, and as cliché as it might sound, her stomach decided to speak on her behalf as it growled loud enough to wake the dead.

"I guess that's a yes," laugh Rio. "Come, let's head to the kitchen."

Ritsu decided to take a look at this room before following her sergeant to the kitchen. Her bags were neatly placed at the foot of the bed. _I guess this is going to be my room._ It was quite a normal bedroom: a comfortable bed, a wooden desk with an antique lamp, and a nightstand besides the bed. There was a chair adjacent to the door now left vacant. She closed the door as she exited the room.

As they made their way to the kitchen, the sergeant made an abrupt stop in front of a map adorning the walls of the living room.

"This map, from no man's land to the dead seas lies the last vestige of human civilization... Sad really. We are all that's left yet we still fight amongst each other like animals," the taller girl mumbled to no one in particular, running her fingers from left to right as she traced the map.

Ritsu didn't really know why Rio was teaching her such basic geography. It's not like she wasn't taught about the boundaries of this world. However, after what happened today she would gladly accept a lecture in place of punishment.

"So Filicia said you were originally from the Fuso region."

"Actually I thought my family was originally from there," she lied. They had lived in Vingt-et-Un for as long as she remembered. "However we were one of the refugees from Vingt-et-Un. It was right before I enlisted that my mother died of radiation sickness… err, I mean the invisible reaper..."

Rio's eyes lit up. That was not a good place to be from; she of all people would know this.

"I see," she said sadly.

Both girls managed to keep quiet and continue to the kitchen.

Once there Ritsu's eyes lit up as she sees her portion of the food uneaten and covered with a lid on the kitchen counter. Filicia managed to save a portion of the dinner for Ritsu, and having not eaten all day she was incredibly grateful.

She dug into the potato and beef stew, spooning the now-cold liquid into her mouth. Even almost icy cold, with no means to warm it, the soup was still quite delicious. The brunette wondered if there was such a machine to warm cold foods. Maybe she'll invent one; she was sure a machine existed where she came from. She cleared her head. Whatever memory she had of her previous life wasn't important, what's important is here and now.

* * *

For the rest of the morning since Ritsu was already up, she took time to accompany Kanata, getting to know her better as she does the morning bugle call. _Perfect pitch, Kanata is amazing._ Ritsu has always been drawn to music. However, brass instruments never seemed to appeal to her. For someone with her rowdy chaotic attitude she was keener to the drums. Unfortunately, there was very little need of marching drums in the modern army.

"Wow you are amazing Kanata," said Ritsu as they were waiting for breakfast. Kureha was still fuming since yesterday, but some of her anger seemed to have dissipated ever since she heard that Ritsu had fainted. She'll never admit it but she was a little concerned for the new girl. Now seeing her all cheery with Kanata her anger managed to re-emerge. She was determined to teach the new girl a lesson.

"Hehe thank you Ricchan," Kanata said in a very familiar tone.

"You know, you should try playing a guitar," Ritsu replied.

"A guitar?"

"Yeah, like this," and she made the motion. Kanata watched, confused as Ritsu demonstrated her air guitar skills.

"You mean a lute?"

"Huh, oh hehe never mind," she laughed. She doesn't even know how, but she knew exactly what a guitar was. She even knew what model would suit Kanata: Les Paul Gibson Cherry Sunburst.

"Kanata," ordered Rio. "It's your turn to go get Noel." The sergeant eyes glued to the morning newspaper as Filicia was quietly sipping her morning tea.

"Y-yes," the bugler quickly understood the order, and got up off the table.

"W-wait," interrupted Ritsu. "Can I go with you?"

"Sure!"

* * *

Busily working away, not accounting for time, as in her world time would've been better off not to have existed, was one of the most "unique" members of the 1121st platoon, Kannagi Noel.

"Noel-chan," a voice called out to her. She eyed in the direction of the voice, not bothering to waste any more energy turning her head. Energy can be spent elsewhere, like fixing this tank.

Ritsu was in awe at the piece of technology in front of her. Standing in the hanger was a relic from long past, the pinnacle of what human beings were capable of in a time where they were the masters of this world.

Autonomous Spider Tank Vector Type-Zero.

"Noel-chan," Kanata called out again.

Platinum white hair peered out from high above them, looking down from the hatch of the great beast. The girl was expressionless, almost robotic, as she looked at both of them and motioned them to join her inside.

Both girls climbed to the top using a ladder located behind the tank. They were greeted by the mechanic as they made it to the top.

"Ah, Noel-chan, this is Ritsu," Kanata pointed out.  
"Pvt. Tainaka Ritsu," she saluted; after all Noel was a Corporal while she was only a lowly Private.

Noel only nodded and motioned both of them into the tank. Normally she would join them for breakfast on her own, however today was especially exciting for Noel since she found a mysterious relic hidden in one of the many panels of the tank.

As all three climbed into the cockpit, Ritsu could only feel a bit overwhelmed by all the lights and gizmos. Quite an amazing piece of work, and she was amaze at the past era's technological prowess.

"So this is..."

"Vector-Type Zero Autonomous Tank Walker: The Takemikazuchi," finished the normally quiet mechanic.

"Noel-chan, breakfast," the bugler persisted, yanking on the Corporal's arm.

"..."

"N-O-E-L-C-H-A-N!"

"This," she held a small colorful device. it didn't seem to be military equipment or anything that could be considered a weapon.

"Huh...What is it Noel-chan?"

"...a device from the previous-era," she turned it over. There was an insignia of a fruit with some English letters engraved on the back.

Joe

JN1125-1160

JSRF Empire of Japan: Eastern Civil Defense.

iPod Nano

"Hmm, what does that mean?" asked Kanata.

"The owner. People usually label their possessions to prevent it from getting stolen," replied Noel in her usual monotone voice. "...the owner's name is J-oe."

Ritsu was excited to see the device, it felt so familiar. "This is a music player!"

Noel's eyes lit up for a moment. "How did you know?"

"Err...I don't really... it was just a guess," she knew exactly was it was.

"Does it still work?" questioned Ritsu.

"The device no longer seems to function on its own. The fuel cell has long been depleted, however...," she pulled out a wire with one end fitting into a slot perfectly on the mysterious device. The other end looked as if it should fit into some sort of power source.

"You mean it plugs into The Takemikazuchi," questioned Kanata.

All three searched for a port that might work with the device.

"Here!" shouted the brunette as she pointed to a small USB port just beneath the console. She was incredibly excited at this point. What is this feeling of familiarity?

Noel plugged the device in and after a few seconds it lit up, coming back to life.

"These symbols," the mechanic whispered to no one in particular as letters filled the screen. Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

"It's Japanese," said Ritsu.

"Japanese?" questioned the other two in sync. Both girls were quite surprised that Ritsu knew the ancient text.

"Yeah, can I borrow it for a moment?" questioned Ritsu. Noel without a word handed the device over to Ritsu, as the drummer touched it the aluminum felt all too familiar. A sense of nostalgia.

"You see, these are songs," said Ritsu as she fluently navigated the device. The other two just watched.  
Ritsu browse the artist list, skimming the names of the various bands. It was quite a shock being able to read text that had been lost within the span of many centuries.

Her fingers stopped at one particular band, _Afternoon Teatime_.

"Houkago Tea Time," she spoke in tongues. The other two looked puzzled.

"Err, it said Afternoon Tea Time," Ritsu translated, but how she knew this she had no idea.

"...," the other two looked lost in her words.

"It's a name of a band," said Ritsu.

"Like a marching band?"

"Err... you can say that..."

"Let's play a song," the drummer shouted excitedly.

"Speaker system on," said Noel giving a thumbs up.

"Alright," acknowledge Ritsu.

_Yes this all makes sense now. _ The brunette's thumb hovered over the "play" button when...

"Hey! what the heck? Where are you guys?" yelled a somewhat agitated Rio.

"Oh," said Kanata and all three girls looked at each other surprised. They forgot all about breakfast.

"Don't make me come in there and get you!"

"Yea, we better go before she gets really angry."

"Yeah, I'm kinda hungry myself," laughed Ritsu, putting down the mysterious device. All three climbed out of the tank to join the raven haired sergeant for breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Festival pt. 1

Just found out that Rio has a Lute, thinking that I should somehow add that into future chapters. What do you think?

* * *

The weeks past and Ritsu felt she had finally settled in with the members of the 1121st. Kureha although still very weary of her decided to finally accept brunette into the squad. Rio and Filicia were always busy with clerical duties, both girls were rarely seen except during mealtime. This gave Ritsu the opportunity to get closer to the other three. Only a week has past since she arrived at the clock tower yet she already regard the 1121st as something like family to her.

The strange dreams that she had of another life seems to have faded altogether. She belongs here, with everyone and that is that. Standing there brushing her teeth, she took a glance at Noel and Kanata who were doing the same. _Yep, this is where I belong._

It was then that Kureha, the youngest member entered the bathroom wearing only her shirt. She grabbed her brush and begins to apply the toothpaste when Kanata started laughing and pointing at her.

"Eh...argh... not again," screamed Kureha grabbing her 'other' ears. Kureha had no idea how the drummer managed to sneak into her room and once again manage to slip them on when she was asleep. Ritsu on the other hand have no idea how she found herself in possession of such strange, 'accessories.' It's not like she's into this sort of thing, _is she? _

"Dammit Ritsu I told you stop sneaking into my ROOM!"

"Hahah but you look so cute with them," the drummer teased.

"Come on Kureha-chan," cooed Kanata. "Do that thing again," begged the private.

"What? N-No! That's embarrassing!"

"Come on Kureha, even Rio-sempai said you looked cute doing it," Ritsu knew that Kureha had some sort of infatuation with Rio and she knows very well how to exploit it.

"R-Really?"

"Yea, I'm sure Kraus would also think so too," Ritsu love knowing how to push Kureha's buttons.

"F-fine...," she said nervously.

"Ni...Ni... Nya~" as she extends a playful paw in the general direction of the other three.

"That's so cute," yelled Kanata blushing and smiling profusely.

"...so cute...," echoed Noel in her monotone voice as she sneaks out a smile.

Embarrassed the nekomimi ran back into her room, probably to dispose of the ears. Not that it mattered since the drummer always manage to find them sooner or later.

* * *

The spring air felt great, Noel and Ritsu sat in the shade quietly enjoying the scenery. They were also quite entertained by the antics of their second youngest member. Kanata was feeding Shuko when the owl getting the best of her again, snatched the entire loaf of bread away before she even had a chance to tear off a piece.

"Shuko," she yelled chasing after the owl.

The final member of the 1121st an African Owl, she seems to have made the clock tower her home. Shuko has become something like a pet to the platoon, everyone think of it as some sort of good luck charm, everyone except for the brunette. Ritsu felt uneasy whenever the animal is around, it's always giving her that weird look, not only that but Shuko was the reason the drummer lost her hairband which was a gift from... _someone... _Who that someone was she couldn't quite recall, she just knew that person was special to her.

"Ara everyone is here it seems," called their commander as she approach them. Kureha has returned from hiding whatever it was she was hiding and now could be seen walking behind the blonde. "Would you guys mind going into town to pick up some supplies? We need seeds to plant for this years harvest, as well as some canned goods."

"To town," questioned Ritsu, she didn't have a chance to properly tour the town ever since she arrived.

"Yes," said her commander cheerily. "This is the first day of the spring festival," she clasp her hands together.

"F-festival," Ritsu and Kanata cheered. They both liked festivals.

* * *

"Okay equipment check," bellowed Rio.

"Supplies list," said the Sergeant.

"Check," replied the squad in unison.

"Money"

"Check"

"Map"

"Check"

"Compass"

"Check"

"Watch"

"Check"

"Uhhh-"

"I even bought my sidearm this time," interrupted Kanata.

"W-what," everyone shouted. "Kanata err," began Rio however she was interrupted by the sound of laughter coming from the private.

"Haha... I was only kidding Rio-sempai," teased the bugler.

"Oh heh I guess I should have seen it coming," replied her sergeant.

"Please drive safely Noel-chan," spoke the blonde commander specifically to Noel the highest in command of the 'groceries unit,' as well as the person in charge of the driving.

"...Moving out..." answered Noel as she ease her foot down onto the accelerator causing the VW to lurch forward.

"You kids take care of the house while we're gone," said Ritsu to her commanders causing Rio to shoot her a look, Filicia just smiled.

"You'll never get a husband like that," yelled the brunette to the sergeant as the car starts to accelerate.

"What?!"

"Have fun and be sure to come home before dinner," waved the commander. Rio sighed, a part of her hated being the 'bad cop' of the group, especially since Filicia always gets to play the part of the 'good cop.'

"...that Ritsu," shaking her fist angrily, the blonde could only hold back a chuckle.

* * *

"Festival Festival," cheered Kanata and Ritsu as the car pass once empty streets now crowded as the town springs to life during the spring festival.

"S-Shut up already," yelled Kureha.

"But its fun, nei~ Kureha-chan," replied Kanata.

"Fun nothing," lectured the youngest member of the 1121st. "We are on a mission after all."

"Pfft... I wouldn't call going shopping a mission," corrected Ritsu. _I've been here for a week and we haven't done anything related to the military. _She decided to play it off, she doesn't really care. _We are at peace after all, and life's good._

* * *

Their first stop was a shop that specialized in glass figurines. The shop window is adorn with various sculptures of animals some of which have long been extinct.

"Kanata wait in the car with Ritsu," said Kureha.

"Why? I want to go see Naomi's new sculptures..."

"You KNOW why," the young private emphasized before exiting the car and walking into the building with Noel.

"Geez, what's her problem," asked Ritsu.

"I don't know," replied a sad Kanata.

"Wait a minute, she can't order us around Noel might be able to but NOT her..."

"Err Ricchan..."

"I'm going," she screamed before leaving the car.

The street were lined with beautifully decorated stores, the normally quiet town now alive festival attendees. _The people here are so friendly, _as a few passerby waved to her. Across the street was bakery with a large selection of delicious cakes, _this must be where Filicia buys her cakes._

"This is where we get the cakes," the younger brunette pointed out.

"Ohhhh.... I want this one..."

"Maybe we can come back when we get paid," said the private looking at her wallet.

Ritsu could only look at the window like a sad puppy.

-

"A new recruit huh," questioned a middle-aged woman, her dark hair tied back, in her mouth a cigarette. She was counting a large sum of money. "Here is your share for this month-"

"WOW what's up with all that money," screamed the new recruit.

Everyone stared blankly at the brunette who's eyes sparkle at the thought of what she could do with that much money. _Cake!_

"Err," said the woman.

"Err," said Kureha.

* * *

"Kanata you were supposed to keep her in the car!"

"Eh, why?"

"Because... well it doesn't matter anymore she found out..."

"Oh about the Calvados? Hahaha, she would've found out eventually."

"Hey, I'm standing right here you know," interrupted Ritsu. "And just so you know I'm like a blood hound.... with my keen sense of deduction I would have solved the case sooner if not later anyways..."

"A blood hound doesn't have a keen sense of deduction since its a dog," replied Noel. "It just has a very distinct sense of smell."

"...well at least she could help us with this years harvest," Kureha sigh.

"So... does this mean we're loaded," questioned Ritsu ecstatically.

"No," answered the Corporal. "Just enough for food, some personal use and maintenance."

"Ahh... so can we buy some cakes?"

"No we don't have time for sweets," screamed Kureha.

"But, today they have Noel's favorite cake," argued Ritsu.

"C-cake," whispered Noel, a faint smile swept across her lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: festival-2(end). The wait for Monday has always been grueling for me however with this weeks cliff hanger I don't know if I could make it...

* * *

"Why am I stuck baby-sitting the both of you," protested an angry Kureha. The platoon managed to finish all their shopping and will be spending the rest of the day at the festival, as ordered by Filicia.

"Eh, Kureha don't like festival," questioned the bugler.

"No I find it quite childish, we are Helvetia soldiers after all," if anything the little girl could state proudly is this fact. "We need to act more like soldiers!"

"Soldiers don't wear underwear with a lion stamp," muttered the brunette.

"W...what," screamed Kureha. She hated being reminded of 'that.' Ritsu laughed.

"Wow look at the town," interrupted Kanata. The normally quiet town has once again sprung to life, buildings were decorated in red, ancient alphabet of gold line banners as the wind brushes against them like rice-stalks dancing in the breeze. The smell of incense making her nose twitch. _These_ _people really have some strange customs,_ thought Ritsu. A melting pot of different cultures, blended together through necessity.

"What's with all the food," questioned Ritsu pointing to a large table lavishly decorated with all sorts of food. The center of the feast a roasted wild-boar, the main course.

"These tables are set up for relatives who had passed away the spring festival is a way of welcoming them back, where as the fall festival is celebrating them returning to... heaven. The food is here for them, after their long journey..." Noel always serious, _as serious as a bullet wound to the forehead._

"G-ghost," questioned Kanata and Kureha simultaneously. Noel only nodded.

"..."

"...families usually have their own table, however this large table here," Noel pointed it out. "...is for spirits whom are without family..." A hint of sadness could be seen in the Corporal's eyes.

"We have something similar at my village," said Kanata.

"Ahh Kanata-san," woman dressed as a priestess called out as she walked towards the platoon. A subtle beauty, thought Ritsu. The girl carried with her a sense of grace.

"Yumina-san," replied the bugler.

"Have you come to pray as well? Oh, hello..."

"Umm," Ritsu tried to speak. The woman was wearing some weird looking garb, the brunette was trying to wrap her mind around it. Living in a village farthest from the capital Ritsu wasn't familiar with religion. Watching this weird get-up she tried her best to hold back laughter. The drummer didn't really understand how someone could be devoted to a god, a being that would permit things to get so, desperate.

"Tainaka Ritsu, PVT 1st class."

"Ritsu-san," the priestess reiterated. "May the blessing of all be upon you on this day..."

"..."

"Would you like to pray with us?"

Kanata and Kureha didn't seem to object, they both have people to pray for after all.

"No, thank you," said the drummer, sadness could be seen in the eyes of the young priestess. "Very well, Ritsu-san."

"..."

"Noel-san would you?"

The corporal only shook her head. _I guess Noel didn't believe in this bullshit either, _thought Ritsu.

Never the less, Ritsu and Noel decided to watch silently as Kanata and Kureha paid respect to love ones who have long since past on. Guilt, the brunette felt guilty overhearing Kureha acknowledge her deceased parents, _Kureha. _It's true Ritsu really didn't believe in any of this ideological nonsense however...

"On second though," said the pvt. "Maybe praying a bit will bring me some good luck for the year," Yumina happily handed her three sticks of incense. As she held them up to the flame, her thoughts wander, if only things were different.

_Mother, father, brother I miss you dearly... Mio my bestfriend..._

Ritsu prayed silently, Yumina smiled, she was positive that the girl's words would surely be received. Noel could only watch, she silently gave a sigh, _nobody on the other side would want to talk to her anyways._

* * *

After the ceremony Ritsu got to know a bit more about the young priestess. Impressed with the priestess who managed an orphanage for war orphans, Ritsu pondered the idea of what it would be like if she were to devote her life to charity instead of being a soldier.

Noel listened to their conversation silently as all five girls sat happily conversing under a shady tree at the far corners of the festival.

_Bang bang bang..._

Ritsu's eyes darted open as memories of the past quickly flash in front of her. Sounds of what could be either described as small explosions or gunfire erupted from all directions. She quickly clutches her head, the headache had return.

"R-Ricchan," questioned a concern Kanata.

"G-gunfire," said the drummer. Ritsu's head felt like it was going to burst, _would this be a fitting end for me dying here and ruining this perfect day for everyone?_

Noel seeing the girl in obvious distress cradled the drummer head leaning it on her chest, the corporal silently held the brunette until the young pvt. manage to calm down.

"...Look," she said in her monotone voice, pointing to a couple of kids playing with what appears to look like small dynamite sticks tied together with a string. "They are called firecrackers, they sell them during the time of festival..."

Noel continued to hold the pvt. as the drummer shakes in fear. The other three could only watch them in silence not to disturb the two.

"I...," the drummer clutch her head, the pain was killing her.

"I can't say I understand what you are feeling Ritsu," said Noel. "However I won't let you go if you don't want me to..."

"T-thank you..."

The quiet Noel could only acknowledge with a nod. Nobody should thank her, not after...

"...Firecrackers are set off during the end of the ceremony, it was said to ward off evil spirits as one year ends and a new one begins...," however it was cut off as the corporal begins to yawn. And right there the older girl fell asleep with Ritsu curled up in her arms snuggling her head under the corporal's chin. Both girls held each other silently under the shade of the grand oak.

"Kanata-san let's not disturb them," whispered Yumina. "Do you want to help me with the banquet?"

"Banquet?"

"Kanata, I don't think...," interrupted Kureha.

The bugler could only give a confused look towards the younger girl. Kureha was not the type to expect kindness or charity from others. She was after all more accustom to relying on herself.

"...and we are not a part of this town anyways," continued Kureha. "We shouldn't meddle in their affairs"

"That's not true," replied Yumina. "For as long as I could remember the girls at the Time-Telling fortress are as much a part of Seize as the apples growing in the forest, or the glass made in the factories..."

"See," said Kanata. "I told you we're invited."

"...plus we didn't bring anything, I would feel guilty eating their food," muttered Kureha.

"Look Kureha-chan," Kanata pointed to crates of calvados and apple cider. "Me, Naomi-san and Yumina-san put those out yesterday."

"Still we shouldn't be doing this,' exclaim Kureha. "We are soldiers first and foremost," however to the townsfolk the 1121st was regarded as more than mere soldiers. The 'Maidens of Fire,' a legend spanning the course of five hundred years. _Everybody regarded them as a very important part of the town and that was that._

_

* * *

_

It was dusk by the time the four had returned to base, they spent most of the day at the festival enjoying the various foods and games. With the money that Filicia had given them, Ritsu bought herself a hand drum, Kureha told her it was a kids toy and she should grow up however the drummer wouldn't listen and bought it anyways. The toy was simple to say the least, a small drum attached to a stick, with two beads attached to strings on either side. When spun it would make a sound similar to the larger drums at the festival. Noel said it was also used to scare off evil spirits however the sound gave Ritsu a sense of nostalgia.

Kanata brought some clothes as well as gifts to send home. While Noel and Kureha did not buy anything.

Once they drove up, they were greeted by their two commanding officers. Rio as always scolded them for being late while Filicia welcome them back with a smile.

The night ended with Kanata speaking of how much fun they had at the festival. Rio, Filicia, Noel, Kureha and Ritsu listens as the bugler tells her story.


End file.
